Hooded cartons having a hinged, flip-top cover are well known and generally, although not exclusively, used to contain fungible material, such as soap powder or other particulate material. This type of carton usually of carton usually comprises a box or carton having a cover or hood with a skirt. One example of such cartons is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,030 (to Gorton), wherein the carton is intended to be opened and closed a number of times and, in at least one embodiment of the carton, may have an additional piece of paperboard secured to the upper front portion of the box to engage the top when closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,343 (to Stone) discloses a flip-top reclosable carton wherein, after opening, the top includes a positive locking arrangement accomplished by means of a cut-out portion on the interior surface of the front wall which includes a proximal flap and an island portion disposed in forcibly displaceable mutual engagement. The Stone patent also notes that in reclosable flip-top or hooded cartons, a relatively common reclosable carton design involves the use of a friction fit between the front panel of the container and the corresponding front panel of the lid hingedly connected to the back panel of the carton. Stone further notes that one problem with such friction fit designs is that the lid may not be held securely closed even though the blank used to form such a reclosable carton is dimensioned to ensure the requisite frictional engagement between the lid and the carton. U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,052 (to Tolaas) discloses a reclosing feature somewhat similar to that disclosed by Stone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,420 (to Gunn et al.) discloses a package for housing granular or similar products wherein a liner sticks up past the outer body of the carton to provide a structure for the lid to rest on in closed position. There is no disclosure of a friction fit to ensure that the top remains closed.
The above-noted patents disclose improvements in reclosable hooded or flip-top cartons, but one problem is that each requires a liner or multi-ply carton wall to prevent the contents from leaking out of the package. While the Stone and Tolaas patents disclose a way to create a positive closure arrangement for a flip-top hooded carton, the arrangement requires additional die cutting and a liner is also required. Because of the required liners and additional die cutting, the consumption of expensive paperboard is increased and the fabrication process is complicated.
A reclosable hooded carton for containing particulate or powdered products which is easy to open and reclose securely, yet which can be produced efficiently and inexpensively, would be a decided improvement over the hooded containers currently available.